Eligible organizations must:

• Be African-founded, African-based, and African-led

• Serve communities exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Have an engaged board (meets at least twice a year)

• Have at least some paid staff

• Conduct annual external financial audits for the past two years

• Maintain basic financial management systems

• Have an annual budget between $150,000 and $1,500,000
  

Eligibility Requirements

We do not fund:

• Individuals

• Scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate or postgraduate studies

• Businesses (loans, grants, seed funding)

• Religious organisations for religious purposes

• Election campaigns, political parties, or politically affiliated activities

We aim to make our application process as inclusive as possible and are working to offer the form in multiple languages in the future. For this year, it is available in English only. In the meantime, you can use your browser’s translation tools to view the form in your preferred language.

Yes. We welcome applications in other languages, especially from Francophone, Hispanophone, and Lusophone countries.

Register an account with your name and organization’s name. Use this account to complete the application by answering questions and uploading required files. Your progress is saved automatically so if you lose internet access or need to stop for any reason, you can return later without losing data.

After completing all sections and uploads, review your application before submitting. Once submitted, our team will review and follow up with next steps.

Yes. You can edit your application until you click ‘Submit.’ No changes can be made after submission, even if the deadline has not passed.

If you need to make corrections after submission, email grants@africancollab.org.

Yes. Your responses are saved after completing each section, so you will not lose data on completed sections if you get disconnected or choose to return later.

No. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. If you have any trouble using the portal, please email grants@africancollab.org and we will be happy to assist you.

Email

Yes. You can upload documents such as your certificate of incorporation, board charter, annual reports, impact reports, MEAL framework, and others. You may upload multiple files, and we encourage you to share all relevant documents that strengthen your application.

Yes. Due to limited time and resources, we have a set quota of applications we can actively assess in each grantmaking cycle. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough review process for every eligible organization. If you meet the eligibility criteria but we’re unable to process your application this year, your submission will be prioritized in future cycles. With your consent, we may also share your application with other interested funders.

 You may consent to:

1. Retain your application for future grant cycles.

2. Share it with other interested funders.
   You can choose either or both within the application form.

We know many organizations work across multiple sectors. In your application, you can choose the sector that best reflects your core mission, and you will also have the option to list other sectors you work in. For our internal review, we may group your application under one primary sector based on where you appear most active. This will not affect your eligibility or how your application is considered.

No. We fund organizations with annual budgets between $150,000 and $1,500,000. We aim for our grants to make up no more than 30% of an organization’s budget, as this supports financial stability and diverse funding sources.

We expect to select between 8 and 10 organizations in this round.

Between $50,000 and $125,000 annually for three years, depending on your funding track.

The African Collaborative has two funding tracks: Ignite for organizations at an earlier stage of growth and Fuel for those that are more mature. Track placement is based on several factors, including the type and structure of the board, the organization’s strategic direction, staff compensation levels, and overall budget. Final assignments are made after a holistic review and in-depth conversations during the later stages of our grantmaking process.

Grantmaking Criteria

Yes. While our primary role is providing grants, we also offer our partners valuable non-monetary support such as leveraged funding opportunities, strategic connections, and increased visibility. These resources, including funding, are available exclusively to organizations we partner with.  

Yes. Partners receive unrestricted funding for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of renewal. The maximum duration of funding we provide is six years.

Applications are reviewed by the African Collaborative Grants Team and our Grantmaking Committee, which includes local leaders from the sectors and regions we fund. Semi-finalists are invited to participate in virtual site visits, and applicants receive updates after each stage. Final funding decisions are made by the African Collaborative Board.

Semi-finalists take part in a virtual call with our Grants Team, where we learn about your financial systems, governance, and other key operations. You can select the team members who are best suited to share this information. This is also an opportunity for you to ask us questions and learn more about our process.

Referees will receive a brief survey with a few targeted questions, sent by email with a link to complete it online. We encourage applicants to inform their referees in advance so they know to expect our message and can respond in a timely way.

Grantees will be informed of funding decisions by the end of the process. Details about the formal announcement will be shared at that time.

• Founding board: The initial board formed when the organization was established.

• Governance board: A board that provides strategic direction, ensures accountability, and monitors performance while keeping the organization aligned with its mission.

• In between: The transition from a founding board to a governance board, recruiting new members for strategic oversight instead of day-to-day management.